Container having a closure and removable resealable stopper for sealing a substance therein, and related method

Abstract

A container comprising a container body defining a storage chamber for receiving a substance and a container closure removably attached to the container body for sealing the storage chamber. The container closure includes a base defining an aperture in fluid communication with the storage chamber, and a needle penetrable and thermally resealable stopper overlying the aperture for aseptically filling the storage chamber with the substance and sealing the substance within the storage chamber with respect to the ambient atmosphere. A sealing portion engages the container body prior to filling and forms a substantially dry hermetic seal between the container closure and container body. The container further comprises an over closure engageable with the container closure such that removal or movement of the over closure from a first position to a second position results in substantially simultaneous removal of the container closure and stopper to allow dispensing of the substance.

1 . A container comprising:
 a container body defining a storage chamber therein for receiving a substance and a first aperture in fluid communication with the storage chamber;   a container closure removably attached to the container body for sealing the storage chamber, including:
 a closure base defining a second aperture in fluid communication with the storage chamber; 
 a closure stopper overlying the second aperture that is penetrable by a filling member for aseptically filling the storage chamber with the substance, and is thermally resealable after withdrawing the filling member therefrom to seal the substance within the storage chamber with respect to the ambient atmosphere; and 
 a sealing portion engageable with the container body prior to aseptically filling the storage chamber with the substance and forming a substantially dry hermetic seal between the container closure and container body; and 
   an over closure engageable with the container closure after filling and thermally resealing the closure stopper and forming an over closure and container closure assembly, wherein the over closure and container closure assembly is manually engageable and movable between (i) a closed position wherein the sealing portion of the container closure is engaged with the body and forms a hermetic seal between the container closure and body, and (ii) an open position wherein the container closure is moved away from the body and the first aperture and storage chamber are open to ambient atmosphere to allow dispensing of the substance therethrough.   
   
   
       2 . A container as defined in  claim 1 , wherein the closure stopper is at least one of (i) co-molded with the closure base and (ii) over molded to the closure base. 
   
   
       3 . A container as defined in  claim 1 , wherein the closure stopper is approximately dome-shaped to compress itself inwardly. 
   
   
       4 . A container as defined in  claim 1 , where at least one of the over closure and the container closure defines a relatively recessed surface, and at least one of the over closure and the container closure defines a relatively raised surface that is received within the relatively recessed surface to connect the over closure to the container closure. 
   
   
       5 . A container as defined in  claim 4 , wherein the over closure includes at least one flange that defines at least one of the relatively raised and relatively recessed surfaces that engages the container closure to connect the over closure to the container closure. 
   
   
       6 . A container as defined in  claim 1 , wherein the container closure includes an annular sealing member that forms a dry hermetic seal between the container closure and body, and is formed integral with the closure stopper. 
   
   
       7 . A container as defined in  claim 6 , wherein the container closure defines a plurality of apertures angularly spaced relatively to each other and extending through a wall of the closure base, the closure base defines an annular groove in communication with the apertures, and the stopper material extends through the plurality of apertures and into the annular groove, and forms within the annular groove the annular sealing member. 
   
   
       8 . A container as defined in  claim 1 , wherein at least one of: (i) the container body is threadedly engageable with the container closure base; (ii) the container closure base is rotatably engageable with the container body; and (iii) at least one of the container body and container closure base defines a relatively raised surface, and at least one of the other of the container body and the container closure base defines a relatively recessed surface for receiving therein the relatively raised surface and releasably connecting the closure base and container body. 
   
   
       9 . A container as defined in  claim 8 , wherein the over closure is fixedly connected to the container closure, and is frangibly connected to the container body. 
   
   
       10 . A container as defined in  claim 9 , wherein the container closure is rotatably engageable with the container body, and the frangible connection between the over closure and container body prevents relative rotation of the container closure and body. 
   
   
       11 . A container as defined in  claim 10 , wherein the over closure includes a substantially ring-shaped portion that is frangibly connected to the over closure, and at least one of the ring-shaped portion and the body defines a plurality of relatively raised surface areas, and at least one of the other of the ring-shaped portion and the body defines a plurality of relatively recessed surface areas, wherein the raised surface areas are received within respective recessed surface areas to prevent relative rotation of the over closure and container closure assembly and the body. 
   
   
       12 . A container as defined in  claim 1 , wherein the over closure is pivotally secured to the container body and movable between a first position and a second position relative to the container body, the over closure removing the container closure from the container body when the over closure is moved from the first position to the second position. 
   
   
       13 . A container as defined in  claim 1 , wherein the storage capacity of the container is in the range of about 15 ml to about 45 ml. 
   
   
       14 . A container comprising:
 first means for forming a sealed, empty storage chamber therein for receiving a substance;   second means removably attachable to the first means for sealing the storage chamber, wherein the second means includes third means that is penetrable by a filling member for aseptically filling the storage chamber therethrough and is thermally resealable after removing the filling member therefrom for sealing the aseptically filled substance within the storage chamber; and fourth means engageable with the first means prior to aseptically filling the storage chamber with the substance and for forming a substantially dry hermetic seal between the second means and the first means; and   fifth means for engaging the second means after filling and thermally resealing the third means for enclosing the third means therein and for forming an interconnected assembly of the second means and the fifth means, wherein the interconnected assembly is manually engageable and movable between (i) a closed position wherein the fourth means is engaged with the first means for forming the hermetic seal therebetween, and (ii) an open position wherein the interconnected assembly of the second means and fifth means is moved away from the first means and storage chamber are open to ambient atmosphere to allow dispensing of the substance therethrough.   
   
   
       15 . A container as defined in  claim 14 , wherein the first means is a container body; the second means is a container closure; the third means is a penetrable and thermally resealable stopper; the fourth means is a sealing member; and the fifth means is an over closure. 
   
   
       16 . A container as defined in  claim 14 , further comprising sixth means for frangibly connecting the fifth means to the first means and for preventing tampering with the second means. 
   
   
       17 . A method comprising the following steps:
 providing at least one container body defining a storage chamber therein for receiving a substance and a first aperture in fluid communication with the storage chamber; a container closure removably attached to the container body for sealing the storage chamber, including a container closure base defining a second aperture in fluid communication with the storage chamber, a closure stopper overlying the second aperture and penetrable by a filling member for aseptically filling the storage chamber with the substance, and wherein a resulting filling member aperture formed therein is thermally resealable to seal the substance within the storage chamber with respect to the ambient atmosphere, and a sealing portion engageable with the container body prior to aseptically filling the storage chamber with the substance and forming a substantially dry hermetic seal between the container closure and container body;   providing at least one over closure engageable with the at least one container closure and container body after filling and thermally resealing the filling member aperture, and removable relative to the container body, wherein removal of the over closure results in substantially simultaneous removal of the container closure from the first aperture to allow dispensing of the substance therethrough;   providing a first liquid source including a first liquid component and a first filling member coupled in fluid communication with the first liquid source;   penetrating the stopper with the first filling member and forming the filling member aperture;   introducing the first liquid component through the first filling member and into the storage chamber;   withdrawing the first filling member from the storage chamber;   thermally resealing the filling member aperture to hermetically seal the filled storage chamber with respect to the ambient atmosphere;   securing the over closure to the container; and   at least one of (i) removing the over closure and, with it, the container closure to expose the first aperture for dispensing product therethrough, and (ii) pivotally moving the over closure between a first position and a second position relative to the container body, the over closure removing the container closure from the container body as the over closure is moved from the first position to the second position.   
   
   
       18 . The method as described in  claim 17 , wherein the substance is at least one of a beverage whitener and flavoring. 
   
   
       19 . A method as described in  claim 17 , wherein prior to the resealing step, the method further comprises:
 providing at least one additional liquid source and at least one additional filling member coupled in fluid communication with the at least one additional liquid source in fluid communication with the storage chamber of the container; introducing the at least one additional filling member through the first aperture; aseptically introducing the at least one additional liquid component through the at least one additional filling member and into the storage chamber; and, in turn, combining the first and the at least one additional liquid components into a liquid product formulation within the sterile chamber of the container.   
   
   
       20 . A method as described in  claim 19 , further comprising the steps of:
 mounting the at least one container on a conveyor belt; and   mounting the first and at least one additional filling members at discrete stations above the conveyor belt.   
   
   
       21 . A method as described in  claim 19 , wherein the first liquid component is a first flavor, one of the at least one additional liquid components is a second flavor, and one of the at least one additional liquid components is a base beverage whitener. 
   
   
       22 . A method comprising the following steps:
 (i) providing a sealed, empty container, defining a sterile chamber, an opening to the sterile chamber, and a container closure that is detachably connected to the container and seals the sterile chamber with respect to ambient atmosphere;   (ii) penetrating a penetrable and thermally resealable portion of at least one of the container and container closure with a filling member, aseptically filling the sterile chamber with at least one liquid through the filling member, withdrawing the filling member from the penetrable and thermally resealable portion, and thermally resealing a resulting filling member aperture and hermetically sealing the aseptically filled liquid within the sterile chamber;   (iii) attaching an over closure to the closure that encloses the penetrable and thermally resealable portion and forms an interconnected over closure and closure assembly.   
   
   
       23 . A method as defined in  claim 22 , further comprising the step of manually engaging the over closure and substantially simultaneously removing the over closure and closure to open the container and dispense the liquid therefrom. 
   
   
       24 . A method as described in  claim 22 , wherein step (ii) includes penetrating the penetrable and thermally resealable portion of at least one of the container and container closure with a plurality of different filling members, aseptically filling the sterile chamber with a plurality of different liquids through the different filling members, and thermally resealing any resulting filling member apertures and hermetically sealing the plurality of aseptically filled liquids within the sterile chamber. 
   
   
       25 . A method as described in  claim 24 , wherein one liquid is a base beverage liquid, and another liquid is at least one of a flavoring and a coloring.